From owner-freebsd-stable@FreeBSD.ORG  Tue Jul  8 16:35:27 2003
Return-Path: <owner-freebsd-stable@FreeBSD.ORG>
Delivered-To: freebsd-stable@freebsd.org
Received: from mx1.FreeBSD.org (mx1.freebsd.org [216.136.204.125])
	by hub.freebsd.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id 0584A37B401
	for <freebsd-stable@freebsd.org>;
	Tue,  8 Jul 2003 16:35:27 -0700 (PDT)
Received: from ns1.itga.com.au (ns1.itga.com.au [202.53.40.214])
	by mx1.FreeBSD.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id B64EB43FA3
	for <freebsd-stable@freebsd.org>;
	Tue,  8 Jul 2003 16:35:25 -0700 (PDT)	(envelope-from gnb@itga.com.au)
Received: from lightning.itga.com.au (lightning.itga.com.au [192.168.71.20])
	by ns1.itga.com.au (8.12.9/8.12.9) with ESMTP id h68NZGUl048001;
	Wed, 9 Jul 2003 09:35:16 +1000 (EST)
	(envelope-from gnb@itga.com.au)
Received: from lightning.itga.com.au (localhost [127.0.0.1])
	by lightning.itga.com.au (8.9.3/8.9.3) with ESMTP id JAA29618;
	Wed, 9 Jul 2003 09:35:15 +1000 (EST)
Message-Id: <200307082335.JAA29618@lightning.itga.com.au>
X-Mailer: exmh version 2.4 05/15/2001 with nmh-1.0.4
From: Gregory Bond <gnb@itga.com.au>
To: Paul Smith <paul@cnt.org>
In-reply-to: Your message of Tue, 08 Jul 2003 15:01:04 -0500.
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii
Date: Wed, 09 Jul 2003 09:35:15 +1000
Sender: gnb@itga.com.au
cc: freebsd-stable@freebsd.org
Subject: Re: Hardening production servers 
X-BeenThere: freebsd-stable@freebsd.org
X-Mailman-Version: 2.1.1
Precedence: list
List-Id: Production branch of FreeBSD source code
	<freebsd-stable.freebsd.org>
List-Unsubscribe: <http://lists.freebsd.org/mailman/listinfo/freebsd-stable>,
	<mailto:freebsd-stable-request@freebsd.org?subject=unsubscribe>
List-Archive: <http://lists.freebsd.org/pipermail/freebsd-stable>
List-Post: <mailto:freebsd-stable@freebsd.org>
List-Help: <mailto:freebsd-stable-request@freebsd.org?subject=help>
List-Subscribe: <http://lists.freebsd.org/mailman/listinfo/freebsd-stable>,
	<mailto:freebsd-stable-request@freebsd.org?subject=subscribe>
X-List-Received-Date: Tue, 08 Jul 2003 23:35:27 -0000

Here's what we do:

For the system:

 - A separate build box, spec'd no higher than the lowest production machine
 - keep a CVS repository on the build box
 - buildbox /etc/make.conf has KERNCONF="SERVER CLIENT1 CLIENT2..."
 - run make update / make buildworld / make buildkernel on the build box
 - Install kernel & world on the build box, run mergemaster, etc as documented
 - run the build box for a couple of days (rebuilding ports etc) to check it 
   out
 - NFS mount /usr/src and /usr/obj readonly on each client
 - client /etc/make.conf has KERNCONF=CLIENTn
 - installkernel / installworld / mergemaster on the client in the normal way

For the ports:

 - use portupgrade on build box and clients
 - build box has the union of all the client package sets installed on it
 - build box does "portupgrade -p" to build packages
 - client boxes NFS mount /usr/ports/ (including /usr/ports/packages)
     (can also do it with a local CVSup'd /usr/ports and using FTP to 
      the build box to get the packages, but that's harder to get right.)
 - clients run portupgrade -PP to use the packages only

This works well enough for us with a similar number of servers.